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It’s that time of the year when even the most well-intentioned folks begin to feel their New Year’s resolutions fade. Sure, research shows this happens to the majority of people, but it doesn’t have to be this way — you can set tangible, hands-on goals.

“If you haven’t already, now’s the time to walk around your house and start making a list of things you want to get done this year,” says Bryan Baeumler.

“It’s a brand new year, brimming with possibilities. The beauty of it is that these are palpable changes you can accomplish with a little elbow grease.”

Let the star of HGTV’s Leave it to Bryan and Canada’s Handyman Challenge help you follow through on your annual promises. This week, he answers Star readers’ questions about rusty bathtubs, buckling floorboards and mouldy cottages.

Dear Bryan: The finish on my bathtub is wearing off. On the bathtub bottom, a bit of rust is starting to appear (I think my husband tried cleaning it with steel wool a few years ago). I’m hoping that I do not have to replace the bathtub at this time as the tiles on the wall are nice and in very good condition. Is there any special kind of paint or substance that I can paint the bathtub with to get some more use out of it?

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Mara G., Etobicoke

Hi, Mara. The rust tells me it’s a steel or cast iron tub. Replacing the tub would certainly damage the tiles, and likely disturb the waterproofing (if any) behind them. If we encounter a tub that’s had enough time for the surface coating to wear off, we’ll generally want to get behind the existing walls to make sure there isn’t any water damage behind the tiles.

Assuming your walls are in good shape, there are a few techniques to refinish it in place. Typically an acrylic urethane resin coating will be sprayed on after the surface is properly prepared, but there are also inserts available that will essentially cover the existing tub with an acrylic liner.

There are also DIY products available to touch up the chips or other damage in the finish depending on how big the area of damage is. Speak with the people in the hardware store paint department to point you in the right direction.

Each option has its pros and cons, so do some more research before you decide which method is right for you. Good luck!

Hi, Bryan. I bought an old rundown house and have had a lot of fun restoring it. I tore up the ugly old smelly carpets (red shag, yuck, run over by unruly pets and multiple smokers) and put down high quality engineered floors. I know the installer had problems levelling things out, but now, a year later, some of the boards are buckling. Not seriously, but enough to notice. The installer did return to look at the floor and said it looks like something heavy was dropped and broke the connecting grooves underneath. Is this possible and how can it be corrected? Thanks and love your shows!

Brenda P., Toronto

Hi Brenda. It sounds like you have the reno bug! I would be very surprised if dropping something on the floor could break the T&G assembly causing them to buckle, but it is possible that the floorboards themselves are cupping, or it’s possible that moisture has affected boards in a certain area causing them to swell a little more than their neighbours.

It’s also possible, although unlikely, that the base of the engineered floor has cracked, allowing movement — but it would be very isolated. Either way, it is possible to remove and replace a single piece of hardwood flooring (or more if necessary) without damaging neighbouring boards. The key is to carefully cut and remove the middle of the first piece in order to be able to carefully pry out the T&G parts. Then you’ll want to remove any nails, screws or glue, and prepare the new piece of hardwood by cutting off the bottom lip of the groove side so it will drop into place. After a quick test, you can glue it in place and leave something heavy on top of it to hold it while the adhesive cures. Voila — problem solved . . . maybe! Replacing pieces of hardwood is probably an eight or nine out of 10, so unless you have some finish carpentry skills, you may want to have an installer complete the repair for you. Good luck with the floor!

Hi, Bryan. I have a two-storey, 2,200-square-foot home that is approximately four years old. I feel that I need more attic insulation as the upstairs is constantly too hot or too cold. I have tried to adjust all of the dampers in the ducts without success. I am considering Styrofoam panels laid across the rafters in the attic to provide additional insulation as an inexpensive and easy project I can do myself. What suggestions do you have?

Jeff S., Oshawa

Hi Jeff. You should have at least R50 in the attic, along with a continuous vapour barrier — that’s about 12-to-14 inches of insulation, which means you shouldn’t even be able to see the tops of the joists in your attic. Poke your head up there and take a look, and while you’re there, check that the insulation isn’t blocking airflow into the attic through the soffit vents — air must be able to freely circulate through the attic to regulate temperature and moisture. If you’re running low on insulation, you can either add batts perpendicular to the joists, rent a machine to chop up and blow more insulation into the attic, or hire a licensed insulation contractor to come in, assess exactly what you need and go from there. I wouldn’t recommend putting foam panels on top of the existing insulation; they are considered a vapour barrier, which should always be on the warm side (i.e. bottom in the attic).

Hi, Bryan. My cottage has a mould problem. It was built in 1955, 1,000 square feet with a crawl space approximately 10 inches from the ground to the bottom of the joists. The concrete block foundation has a single 6-by-8-inch vent on each side of the structure. If I extend my arm with a camera down through a vent I can see a white mould on the underside of the floor/joists. I understand that Amazon has a product, aerosol can type, that you can fumigate an area with, but will it do the job?

Al B., Brooklin, Ont.

Hi Al, and thanks! Based on the age of the cottage, and limited access into the crawl space, I’d be willing to bet my lunch money that it’s not insulated properly, and there’s no vapour barrier — which will cause condensation to build up on the underside of the subfloor. In my experience, there isn’t an aerosol product that would be an effective solution in this situation.

My suggestion would be to create a proper access into the crawl space so you can get someone in there to inspect the damage. Typically, anything more than about nine square feet of mould calls for a licensed environmental contractor to come in and clean it up safely and thoroughly. If the crawl space isn’t heated, the floor above should have an effective vapour barrier and at least R20 insulation. If the crawl space is heated, the exterior walls should be insulated to at least R20, and a continuous vapour barrier on the ground to prevent moisture from coming up from the soil.

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